we don't know quite what we're doing

but we try to have a Good Time. Try to treat everbody right.



Is that right? That's why I ride a bike. I like to ride a bike.

It's certainly why we got out and rode Henry Coe State Park (the largest State Park in Northern California, at 87,000- yes, thousand- acres) recently. I'd only been once before, and I've forgotten what we rode. I remember being well on the rivet, and it being HOT. Folks aren't enthused to ride there, because it gets so hot. And it takes over an hour to drive there.

Anyhow, we parked at the Hunting Hollow entrance East of Gilroy, and rode up to the Coyote Canyon gate. Coit Road (paved) North for a bit. Then it was shaded singletrack climbing up Anza Trail to Jackson Trail to Elderberry Spring Trail (which was fantastic singletrack) to Rock Tower Trail to Domino Pond Trail. At the intersection with Wasno Road, we rolled Easterly to Kelly Lake Trail.

At Kelly Lake, there was a brief nude interlude in the cold water.

Then we got mixed up looking for the grown over Kelly Cabin Trail. To the tune of lots of extra climbing and bushwhacking and turning around several times, before we said eff it:



and climbed a surprising ways up Willow Ridge Road to take Cross Canyon Trail down (totally worth it) to truly hunt and peck the trail (not worth it- we must have crossed the creek at least 20 times) to come back to Coit Road as dirt. Dropping down the other side of Cross Canyon Trail, we blew a turn and mowed down the hillside following other tire tracks until hitting Coit Springs doubletrack.

We got lost several different ways there. As in more than 3.

After saying eff it again, we found the trail we were on was the one we wanted- Grapevine Trail- and man! is it a good one. Then we took Anza Trail back as far as we could to remain on singletrack as long as possible (always the aim) and returned down paved Coit Road to the Coyote Creek Entrance and thence back to the race van. Exhausted and smug.

This is a long winded way of saying: GO! ride Henry Coe no matter what your friends say! It's fun as hell. It was a long haul to get there, but it's worth it. We saw 2 people in total all day. There was a pleasing remoteness. It was really nice singletrack through mostly oaks and grassy meadows. The wildflowers are going karazy right now.

Bring a map and a water filter. The trails are well marked, but it gets confusing if you're dull-witted. There is lots of running water (right now) from which to filter, and you will run out of water.

Also, I pulled 25 ticks (no lie! no exaggeration) off myself, and didn't get one bite- that's witness to the importance of checking early and often. We don't want no kind of Lyme Disease.